Eczema Treatment Cost

Typical costs:

• For patients covered by health insurance, out-of-pocket costs typically consist of doctor visit copays, the full cost of moisturizers and over-the-counter medications and/or prescription drug copays of $5-$50 or more, or coinsurance of 10%-50%. However, certain medications might not be covered in some cases. For example, a clinical policy bulletin from Aetna states that certain immunosuppressive creams, such as Elidel, require pre-certification and will only be covered in certain circumstances, such as after failure of other specific treatments.
• For patients not covered by health insurance, eczema treatment for mild cases typically costs less than $50 a month for a moisturizing cleanser, moisturizer and over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream. For example, Drugstore.com charges about $6 for a tube of Aveeno Maximum-Strength Anti-Itch Cream[1] and charges about $9 for a tube of Cortizone 10 Plus Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Cream[2] and charges about $14 for Eczemin[3] medicated moisturizing cream.
• Eczema treatment for more severe cases typically costs about $50-$500 or more per month, depending on the type of drug, the amount used and whether it is generic or brand name. For example, Walgreens charges about $30-$50 for a tube of generic mometasone furoate prescription corticosteroid cream, depending on the size, or $50-$80 for a tube of the brand-name equivalent Elocon. It charges about $40 for a tube of generic clobetasol propionate corticosteroid cream. It charges about $180 for a tube of Cloderm brand name corticosteroid cream. And it charges about $320-$575 for a bottle of brand-name Clobex lotion, depending on the size.
• Eczema treatment for very severe cases for which other treatments have failed typically costs from less than $20 a month for an oral steroid up to $500 or more per month for an immunosuppressant cream. For example, Drugstore.com charges about $12-$20, depending on dose, for a one-month supply of the oral steroid prednisone. It charges about $150-$300 for a tube, depending on size and strength, of the immunosuppressant ointment Protopic. And it typically charges $140-$470 for a tube, depending on the size, of the brand-name immunosuppressant cream Elidel.

• Eczema typically can be diagnosed based on a visual examination and interview with the patient. There is no test that can definitively diagnose eczema.
• For mild cases, the doctor typically will recommend a moisturizer to be applied regularly, especially after showers, and possibly a mild over-the-counter or prescription hydrocortisone cream[4] .
• For moderate to severe cases, the doctor typically will prescribe a steroid lotion, cream or ointment such as clobetasol[5] (brand name Clobex and others) or mometasone topical[6] (brand name Elocon) or clocortolone pivalate[7] (brand name Cloderm).
• And for very severe cases that do not respond to other treatments, the doctor might prescribe systemic medications such as oral steroids such as prednisone or immunosuppressant creams or ointments such as pimecrolimus topical[8] (brand name Elidel) or tacrolimus topical[9] (brand name Protopic).
• WebMD has an overview of eczema and its treatment[10] .

• Eczema sufferers can have a greater tendency to suffer from hay fever and other allergic conditions, which might require over-the-counter or prescription medications or allergy shots, which can cost from about $1,500-$4,000 a year.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a locator[11] for clinics with sliding fee scales based on income.
• Some drug manufacturers offer patient assistance programs. Any patient without prescription drug coverage who is not eligible for Medicare typically qualifies for Together Rx Access[12] , a discount card that offers 25%-40% off many brand-name drugs.
• Some manufacturers offer copay assistance programs for insured patients. For example, the manufacturer of Clobex has a $10 copay program.

• A dermatologist should diagnose and treat eczema. The American Academy of Dermatology offers a dermatologist locator[13] .
• The National Eczema Association has a guide to bathing and moisturizing[14] with a list of recommended over-the-counter skin care products for patients with eczema.
• The National Eczema Association has a guide to topical corticosteroids[15] that compares various over-the-counter and prescription lotions, creams and ointments.
• Both Elidel and Protopic should be used only as second-line treatments, can increase the risk of cancer and carry strong health warnings from the FDA[16] .

1.  www.drugstore.com/aveeno-maximum-strength-anti-itch-cream-1-hydrocortisone/qxp74422
2.  www.drugstore.com/cortizone-10-plus-hydrocortisone-anti-itch-creme-maximum-strengt...
3.  www.drugstore.com/eczemin-new-moisture-rich-cream-maximum-strength/qxp385806?catid...
4.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000774/
5.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000859/
6.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000873/
7.  www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-8758-Clocortolone+Pivalate+Top.aspx?drugid=8758&drugname=...
8.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000236/
9.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000200/
10.  www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/eczema/understanding-eczema-treatment
11.  findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
12.  www.togetherrxaccess.com/p/prescription-savings/about-together-rx-access/enroll.aspx
13.  www.aad.org/find-a-derm
14.  www.nationaleczema.org/living-with-eczema/bathing-moisturizing
15.  www.nationaleczema.org/eczema-treatments/topical-corticosteroids
16.  www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProvider...

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